The Dark Steed
by Kay-Mentrae
Summary: Lovino, the apprentice of his father who was once a great horse trainer, is thrown into a world of chaos when he meets a very interesting character indeed. Abused at his home and definitely denied the affection showered upon his brother, Feliciano, will Lovino let this strange person take him away to a place so fantastic his regrets and pains will all melt away? ArthurxLovino
1. Start of a Sad Tale

The large, black mare reared in distress as the brunette boy approached her, her eyes crazed with a feral kind of fear that only wild animals held. Scowling the boy slowed his approach, letting the rope he carried in his tight, white-knuckled grip to sag a bit loosely, less offensively.

"There now, you hold still you…" He muttered in dismay as he squared his shoulders and held his head high in a dominating fashion. The mare backed against the crude wooden corral fence and reared up again, whinnying rebelliously. With a sigh the brunette steeled himself for his next move, knowing full well that this job wasn't going to be easy.

Lunging forward he tossed the rope toward the horse's neck, attempting to get some sort of control of the situation, or in his case, on the mare. However, she was having none of it and reared up a third time, this time catching the make shift lasso around her left foreleg. The brunette could only watch in horror as the beast struggled until the rope pulled tight and she took off in a gallop around the boy.

Or at least she would have, had he not been still firmly holding the rope.

"Aaaaah!" He was yanked off his feet by the beast with no effort at all, then dragged thoroughly through the mud behind her.

"Stop it you damn thing! Whoa, halt, STOP!" If he weren't currently being taken for a ride about the corral he would have cursed himself for taking on the job when he knew that he wasn't good enough yet, not even with tame horses. He was just an apprentice, how the hell did he ever think he could handle a wild monstrosity like this one?

Mercifully the horse stopped running in circles, coming to the realization that the pen was closed off on all sides. With a snort the mare nervously pawed at the soft mud beneath her. On the ground behind her, the apprentice horse trainer stood up, still gripping the rope stubbornly in one hand and trying in vain to brush the clinging dirt from his clothing with the other.

He was just about satisfactory when a dangerous glint shone in the black horse's eyes and she started to size up the section of the corral that closed off the pen on the opposite side. The area was lower down than most other spots in the fence and even had it been the correct height it was still rickety and poorly made. Finally looking back at the horse rather than his clothing, the boy followed her intent gaze to the fence.

"What are you-? No…no no.. NO!" The brunette screamed again in horror as the mare sped off, galloping at full speed directly towards the corral's fence. He knew what she was planning, he could see it in her determined eyes but he couldn't bring himself to let go of the damned rope around her ankle, his pride and his stubborn ways wouldn't let him.

Finally reaching the crude fence the mare leapt, barely clearing the obstacle due to the extra weight on her leg, and in the process she managed to bang the boy's ribs into the wooded fence, the pain excruciating and causing him to wince and cry out, especially as he heard and felt the sickening crack of the wood splintering under the force of the impact. Unable to hold any longer the boy released his iron grip on the rope and fell to a heap on the hard pressed dirt outside the corral. The mare galloped away in triumph into the looming forest that surrounded the villa, her exuberant whinnies echoing away into the dark trees as she escaped. In defeat, the boy looked up from the dirt and glared off after the horse, his indignant gaze met only by the leering darkness that surrounded the trees.

Slowly and painfully the boy stood, ribs still throbbing sharply where he had hit - and broken - his father's fence. About to return to the small cottage that belonged to his family, he was stopped short when he heard the click of a cane approaching behind him and he flinched from the sound, knowing full well who it was. Turning slowly around just as the sound halted abruptly, the boy met the shocked face of his father as he gazed at the mess that once was the left side of the corral.

For a moment the man only stared, his hair just a bit lighter than his sons, and his posture amazingly stiff for a crippled man. He was a war veteran and the scars that marred his ageing face and the limp that handicapped his left leg were proof enough of that fact, but it was his stern attitude that was the most convincing evidence of all.

The look of disbelieving surprise turned to cold anger as his golden eyes hardened and he turned to look at his older son in frigid disappointment. He stepped forward a bit, his limp seeming suddenly insignificant due to his looming presence. The boy tried to look strong, tried not to let his fear show but as the man neared he couldn't help but shy away slightly.

The brunette boy held a hand weakly against his injured side and he looked up defiantly into the eyes of his father, trying hard not to shake with fear.

"Lovino…" the man began in a low, warning tone and the boy, Lovino, instantly bowed his head in shame. "Lovino," he started again, the fact that he was gritting his teeth apparent in his voice, "where is the duke's mare?"

The question seemed so simple, so innocent as it flittered into the tense air, but Lovino knew that for him it spelled death. Swallowing down the lump that threatened to clog his throat and choke him, the boy looked up into his father's blazing golden eyes once more before replying.

"She's in the forest." His voice was ashamed and he knew in an instant that he was going to pay for the mistake he had made. Only a second later his father's cane clattered to the dirt and Lovino felt the calloused hand on his face. The assault was blinding, causing Lovino to momentarily see stars and flashing colors as he was knocked to the ground by the force. Tears welled up hot and stinging in his eyes before rolling down his cheeks and into the dust beneath him.

"Do you want your only brother to die in poverty like your mother did?! Do you want to be the sole cause of his suffering, the reason why he can never be more than he is now?! Do you want to KILL HIM?! DO YOU?! Why can't you do anything right, Lovino!" The words were harsh and there didn't seem to be an end to them in sight. Sullen drops fell from the boy's face as his father screamed, the sharp sting of the words undeterred by the frequency of such assaults. "I won't let you be the source of your brother's suffering!"

His father finally gave up yelling as he was racked with a fit of coughing that resulted in him gagging blood onto the ground to his left. Finally catching his breath, Lovino's father turned back to him, breathing shallowly as he bent to pick up his cane, before then using the stick to poke his son - who was still whimpering on the ground - roughly in the ribs. "Lovino," he said sternly, "you are going to repair that fence, but first you will find the duke's mare. She is very expensive and we are very close to buying your brother's education, so you CANNOT mess this up again. You will leave immediately and don't return home unless that horse is at your side, do you understand?"

The man stood there expectantly as his son caught his breath and looked up from the ground, his browned-gold eyes meeting the simmering, molten gold of his father's.

"Yes, father." He replied simply, his false pride and indignant demeanor resuming their places on the broken boys face.

* * *

**D: Gosh the end of this was so depressing! p.q But I promise it will get better! Just you wait X3**

**Aaaanyway, this is a super-secret surprise for my older sister :D I would put her username but it's kind of pointless considering she is usually on my account instead of me XD So I don't even need to mention her in here for her to see it D: I hope you all like it!**

**And really… It will be less depressing soon XP**


	2. A Lovely Jog Through the Forest

With a sharp tug Lovino pulled the cloth sack over one shoulder, squinting in the dimming light as the sun set behind the forest. He glared at the gently waving trees with his one good eye, the other one had swollen shut where he had been struck by his father, and his resolve wavered slightly. Of all of the places in the near vicinity, this forest in particular was the most dangerous. _Especially in the dark_, the boy reminded himself as the light faded fast below the horizon and the brunette reluctantly began to move towards the woods' edge.

After only a second of hesitation more, Lovino stepped over the not-so-subtle transition from his villa into the wilderness, the change of scenery jarring. Already surrounded by the lingering shade of dusk, the brunette nervously trudged through the ankle deep underbrush, his body aching from the injuries he had sustained.

It hadn't been more than a half an hour ago that he let the horse escape, only as long as it had taken his father to yell at him and him to pack enough supplies to not die in the wilderness, and the throbbing pain was still fresh. Grumbling about his situation, the boy begrudgingly continued on through the forest, deeper and deeper into a place he knew almost nothing about.

The day soon faded into eerie blackness, the moon in turn rising high to light the brunette's way. After hours of walking through the thick brush, the boy was worn down and if his body had hurt before, now he understood true agony. In a faintly illuminated clearing, Lovino was coaxed into leaving the shadows as the allure of fresh water overcame the fear of being eaten, a small stream going through the area and between some weathered rocks.

With a groan Lovino practically fell onto a nearby rock, letting his bag fall heavily at his side as though it weighed three tons rather than three pounds. His stomach growled angrily and his face and side didn't seem to be feeling any better either. Leaning forward he cupped his hands in the stream, moving slowly to keep his balance and avoid falling in.

As he brought the glittering puddle of water in his hands to his lips to drink, a noise from the brush behind stopped him short.

Miraculously, Lovino managed to avoid throwing the water all over the place and running like hell, which he nearly did on pure instinct, and instead he carefully spread his fingers and lets the cool water seep from his hands and trickle quietly into the grass and brush.

Stiffly, the brunette turned to look behind him, his heart pounding in his ears and his breathing shallow. Finally peering into the darkness around him, Lovino saw what it was that had emerged from the forest, and he was pissed.

There, rope still about ankle, stood the black mare that had just entered the clearing, unwary and incautious as she approached the stream with the same intentions as the boy who now watched her had had only moments before. She bent her graceful neck once she stood before the stream and began to drink deeply, not even noticing the boy that gaped at her only a few feet away.

Lovino was silent and still as he watched the mare, awe at the sight only being overcome by a slight annoyance that the beast had run off in the first place. Very slowly, he tried to reach for the sack that he had used to bring a rope and food in, feeling blindly about the grass to his side for a few seconds before catching hold of what he was looking for.

Quietly he dragged the bag up next to his side, reaching in to retrieve a long rope from within. For a few minutes he only watched the exhausted mare drink, the rope clutched nervously in shaking, sweaty hands. _You can't fuck this up, Lovino_, he reminded himself as he tried to stand up as carefully as possible.

Too bad for the boy that this wasn't slow enough and just as he got to his feet the mare jerked her head up, dark brown eyes alert and scared. Spotting the boy the horse seemed to actually glare in annoyance before snorting huffily and turning to gallop back the way she had come.

Lovino, who knew he couldn't afford to let the mare escape him again, bolted after her in the hopes that she would meet an obstacle that would slow her long enough for him to subdue her sufficiently enough to return to the villa. Dodging between trees, the boy struggled to keep sight of the dark creature in the pale light of the moon, only the sound of her hooves providing definite assurance that she was still ahead of him.

After countless minutes of running, Lovino had to slow and catch his breath, the mare slipping off into the dark and the sound of her gallop fading a few minutes after the image of her rump. Dropping to his knees and wheezing, the boy held his sides and glared after the now long gone form of the mare, cursing himself under his breath. Once he was able to breath steadily, he stood and dusted his clothes, turning to hopefully return the way he came so that he could retrieve his bag.

But it was far too late for that and Lovino quickly learned this when he realized that he was lost with only a rope, an aching body and an aching head. By now he had trekked further into the trees in search of water and his supplies, but was met only with unfamiliar surroundings and the rising sun. He had been either running or walking the entire night, save for the minute he managed to sit at the stream, and he was so worn out that he couldn't go any further.

This time literally falling to the ground, Lovino laid down in the course underbrush among skittering spiders and beetles, not even caring of how dangerous and stupid it was to sleep in the open in the middle of the forest.

He closed his eyes in bliss, purely grateful to not have to move anymore and he was soon asleep right there, though this didn't last long.

Not even an hour later Lovino was roused from sleep by a sound approaching him. Cracking an eye open groggily, the boy was surprised and amazed to find that he had been nearly covered by falling leaves while he was sleeping, the brown and gold foliage raining down steadily from the trees above and onto the brunette.

About to stand up the boy was stopped when the sound of the approach that had woken him up in the first place continued and intensified as it came closer. Lying still on the ground, Lovino moved his eyes rather than his entire head, to look all around the area.

He was shocked speechless to see a large, black horse approaching from the trees and toward him. This must be my lucky day! The boy thought as he tensed his body for a surprise attack.

Once the horse was at the point where another step forward would have landed on Lovino, the brunette sprang from the leaves, the rope he had been running with last night close enough by that he had it ready when he was out of the cover. In surprise, the beast reared up and whinnied at him in dismay, its eyes widening as he threw a rope over its neck and pulled it tight.

"Ha! You bastard, thought you would run away from me, eh? I showed you!" The boy gloated as he held tightly to the rope that now ensnared the duke's mare. Or, at least what he had thought was the duke's mare. Glaring triumphantly at the black horse, Lovino suddenly realized that this mare was no mare at all. A matter of fact, this wasn't even a horse!

Defiantly the large, black stallion leered irritably at the brunette boy, it's emerald green eyes shimmering intelligently. Lovino would have been captivated by such eyes had he not been distracted by the long, pearlescent horn that spiraled from the stallion's forehead into a dangerous point.

"What the hell?! You're a fuckin _UNICORN_!"

* * *

**Oh Lovino ~ So, now that you've had a lovely jog through the forest, how about catching a gigantic and dangerous mythical equine, hmm? X3**

**Thanks so much to Sere-San and my sister for pestering me into writing this so fast :D You guys are so *cough*_irritating_*cough* great~**

**Thanks to anyone who reads this, please review and tell me what you think! And also a big thank you to my first 4 followers and faves :D *hugs* You guys are great!**


	3. Things Get Bad

Lovino just stood, gaping at the massive steed. It frowned at his outburst and snorted, shaking it's mane. "And what if I bloody well am?" It inquired in a deep voice despite the fact that it didn't appear to have opened its mouth at all.

Now Lovino was really taken aback.

"You're a unicorn and you can fucking TALK? Damn I must have hit my head pretty hard, maybe I'm still asleep, oh dammit…" Now the boy was pacing back and forth pondering his possible delusions and insanity, the unicorn's frown deepening as Lovino wildly waved his arms about in frantic gestures to animate his rant, which in turn was causing the rope around the unicorn's neck to thrash about wildly and smack him in the muzzle.

"Would you mind stopping that you wanker? You're hitting me in my bloody face…." The large beast huffed and Lovino stopped and glared back into it's glittering emerald eyes.

"No you bastard! I will NOT stop, don't talk to me you damn figment…" However Lovino did stop flailing and instead he crossed his arms indignantly and looked away from the large equine. "Besides, even if you were real you're still not the bastard I was looking for…. I'm damn screwed anyway." He sighed and his eyes glazed over as he imagined what it would be like to return home to the villa, to his work, to his father… He felt stinging, hot tears start to form at the corners of his eyes and he couldn't manage to fight them back as hard as he tried.

The unicorn sensed the boy's distress and, against all of his urges to not to, he leaned over and nuzzled the boy's head reassuringly.

"Bastard… What do you think you are doing? I told you not to bug me and you're a figment…." He sniffled half-heartedly in an attempt to hide his despair. Even while he spoke he didn't turn back to the creature as his pride would not allow him to let the beast see the tears that had already spilled down his cheeks.

"Stop being such a wanker and tell me what "bastard" you WERE looking for so I can help you find him…"

"Her." Lovino corrected.

"Her? What do you mean her?"

"I mean I was looking for a black mare that I let loose into the forest…. And I thought…"

"Thought wha-…. You didn't… You thought I was the MARE?" Now the unicorn was highly offended and he reared up, the action jerking the rope and Lovino back towards him. Now that the brunette was facing towards him again the unicorn could see the tear stains that dampened the boy's cheeks and he suddenly felt guilty for getting upset.

"That's what you get for being a damn unicorn you bastard, now stop staring at my face!" Lovino wiped the tears roughly from his face and glared challengingly at the beast in a way that threatened, I DARE you to say anything about me crying….

The unicorn took a hint and rolled his eyes at the young boys pride before bending his neck to be eye-level with his captor. "So aren't you looking for someone anyway? Shouldn't you get going, wanker?"

"Actually, WE are looking for someone, or something really" Lovino stated.

"We? No way, since when was I a part of your stupid, human endeavors? I don't have time for you."

"Well you don't have a choice, bastard, you're MY captive now. And I say that I won't let you free unless you help me." He looked at the unicorn as though he had obviously just won the fight.

He seriously thinks that I can't get out of this rope, really? Oh jeez, the unicorn thought as it gaped at the boy's blatant confidence. I have to give him credit for at least being confident, right? He shook his head and started to back away from the boy, taking the rope with him.

"I really don't think that is going to happen considering I am much bigger and stronger than you are, little git, now let go of that rope!" The unicorn knew that he did not really need for the boy to let go of the rope to get away, he just didn't want to drag the twot any further off into the forest.

"Hell no! I told you that you are my captive, bastard!" Lovino gave the rope a sharp tug and it gave the unicorn's neck a tight squeeze in turn.

"Gack!" The boy hadn't really pulled too hard but he had caught the steed of guard and while he was gagging the boy started to pull him off into the woods. "Stop that!" the unicorn managed to finally cough out, but the boy wasn't listening at all to him.

"Shut up and walk bastard, or I'll pull on the rope again." This time the stallion wasn't having any of it and he lowered his horn towards Lovino threateningly.

"I will stab you you git now let me go!" The unicorn demanded and for a moment Lovino just stared in horror.

Holy crap that thing is going to impale me! But if I let it go and can't catch the mare on my own I'm sure my father will impale me too, so…. The brunette made a brash decision, considering he was doomed either way, and opted to at least fight for a chance. He really didn't want to die this week, so he reached out and grabbed the shiny black horn and glared.

" I told you to shut up, bastard!" He growled at the unicorn and the beast stopped suddenly, it's eyes getting wide as it stared at Lovino's hand and at it's own horn. Did that wanker just-? His though was cut off as the brunette gave the unicorn's horn a sharp tug that signaled they were going to be walking now, and to Lovino's surprise the beast suddenly didn't seem so inclined to fight back.

Huh, that's strange the bastard is suddenly so willing to listen… And why is his face red like that? Weird damn bastard…. The brunette shrugged It off and let go of the horn, deciding that it wasn't worth too much thinking over.

The unicorn, however, was still in a red-faced daze and he followed stiffly behind the Italian, his cheeks dusted crimson. Wanker….. he thought in minor retaliation as they both got wandered off into the forest.

"God we've been walking for-bloody-ever!" The unicorn whined irritably. It had been almost half an hour of wandering and he seemed fed up with Lovino and the entire search.

"Oh shuttup you bastard, I need to find that damn mare! And you are fucking helping me for… for, uhhhh….." Lovino' brows furrowed and he stopped for a moment to think.

"For what!?" The stallion snorted, holding his head high and looking down condescendingly at the brunette.

"For being a damn bastard and almost stepping on me this morning!" The boy finished matter-of-factly after only a second of hesitation, and then he proceeded to continue dragging his captive. "Now lets go…"

The unicorn opened his mouth to reply but stopped short as he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait," he started calmly as he suddenly stopped walking and refused to move despite the tugging and pulling of Lovino.

"What the hell, bastard?!" He complained, turning to glare at the large black steed who had his ears perked straight up and was glancing warily around the area.

"Shhh! I think that there is something here, and I don't think it is friendly… Just stay still and _quiet_, alright?" he instructed in a low, wary tone as he slowly lowered his head to be about the height of the boys shoulder.

This made Lovino stop and he looked around quietly, suddenly feeling a little scared. His heart started to thrum roughly in his chest, the blood rushing through his ears as he suddenly heard the sound of leaves crunching nearby.

He slowly turned nervously towards the unicorn behind him and whispered, "W-what is it, bastard?"

The unicorn snorted softly at his use of vulgar language in such a situation, then leaned closer and to reply to him.

"It's a mountain lion, they come down from the hills surrounding the valley to hunt in the forest. Just be very still and quiet, alright? If it attacks drop my rope and run, I can fight it." His voice was firm and demanding, but there was the slight shake of fear there, the kind of fear that was an inevitable instinct of all equines.

Lovino opened his mouth to reply when he saw it, the large cat with its lithe body pressed low to the ground and its golden, yellow pelt glowing in the early noon sun. But it wasn't stalking towards them, it was stalking perpendicular to them, towards something else nearby.  
The brunette followed its gaze and felt a chill of dread run down his spine as he caught sight of something smooth and black just a few meters away.

"Oh crap! Look, it's my damn mare and the bastard is going to eat it!" Lovino was still whispering but now he was frantic. _My father will KILL me if I let this horse get goddamn eaten! _

The boy started to walk forward towards the lion, hoping that he would be able to scare it off or at least distract if from its target. _If I get eaten it doesn't really matter anyway, I'm dead if I don't bring back this stupid thing!_

He was just about to get within the beast's hearing range when he felt a jerk from the rope he was holding and he turned back to look at the unicorn who was now glaring at him menacingly, his head pulled up to one side in a way that held the rope around his neck taunt.

"Don't you dare" he snorted and looked at the boy, ready to yank the rope again. Lovino was just about to drop the rope and defy his companion when he heard a loud thud and a horrible screech. _Holy crap that doesn't sound good…. _the Italian thought darkly as he turned back to where the mare had been.

The screech was indeed the terrifying whinny of the mare as she was felled by the large cat, it's jaws sunken easily into the fair beast's jugular. A stream of glistening crimson ran down the horses neck and forelegs, staining the worn, twine rope around it's ankle.

"Shit…" Lovino just gaped in horror as the mountain lion started to rip and tear at the neck of the mare and he turned away, dread creeping up his spine as he realized what this meant for him. "I'm dead.."

* * *

**Yay it's done! :D I dedicate this to my sister, Shiraha, and to Sere-san! :3**

**"You know my name isn't 'bastard', right?" A black unicorn complains as he reads over my shoulder.**

**. Shut up or I'll put you back in your little yaoi box, *ahem*, I mean we'll get to that later X3**

**Please excuse any of the glaringly bad grammar p.q I'll come back and fix it when I'm coherent again, for now enjoy!**

**Also, please review and stuff, thanks! :3**

**"His name is bastard, by the way," B|  
**

**You zip it too, Lovino! *smacks***


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